DESIGN RESOURCE PLATFORM PROJECT
“Please remember….ICONIC….SCULPTURAL….MONUMENTAL….AND AN ARCHITECTURAL WONDER….I want all the leading Architectural publications of the world to carry us as a front page as the new face of Indian retail industry.` The Client
SITE:
The site is an 8-acre triangular corner plot on a major arterial road in the busy metropolis of Bangalore, India.
CLIENT’S VISION
DESIGN RESOURCE PLATFORM (DRP) is a facility that envisions advancing the building design and construction industry to a new height within the Indian Retail Industry. The goal is to develop a unique one-stop resource, design, exposition, solution and shopping destination where anyone from both the public and design/construction industry can benefit by accessing information. This resource platform provides a hub for customers, professionals and manufacturers who will be able to access suppliers, professional services, products and technical knowledge through well guided, experienced assistance. It also provides a facility for sales and service providers to focus on their sales, marketing, product and technical expertise. This comprehensive informative Design Resource Platform is non-existent in India and one needs to search and require local knowledge in order to find materials, products and services. This will be the first centre of its kind in India. The DRP will enhance the value and variety of services provided by professionals in order to benefit customers.
PROGRAM
The intent is to create a mixed use development where two stakeholders are joint venturing to build a first of its kind unique Design Resource Platform for India, complimented with Retail/Professional offices. DRP will be +/- 600,000sq.ft and to maximise the development potential of the site, the remaining +/- 530,000sq.ft is dedicated for commercial retail/office development.
SOLUTION
Four major massing options were considered prior to finalizing the recommended building massing concept. A triangular building for the DRP and a rectangular office block with retail at the lower levels was established for the project where by one enters from the street level through the middle of the two buildings. The main entry to the Buildings is under cover which allows pedestrian and vehicular traffic to circulate and flow through the building efficiently, easily accessing the underground parking.
Through a grand and provoking design, DRP intends to attract customers through convenience and well guided professional assistance. This facility, located in Bangalore, becomes the anchor point and focus for the exchange of knowledge and resources. The challenge was not only to create the functional requirements of the project but also to maximize the built up area due to the immense land cost of property in Bangalore. The unique triangular form not only becomes an icon for the city and the nation but also embodies dynamic interaction through its levels and circulation patterns. To the South, the DRP building contains six levels of retail surrounding a central interior courtyard creating a vibrant space, accessed easily via escalators and elevators in the central atrium space. A variety of retail spaces are offered on each level supporting the user's needs including; infinite possibilities of home furnishing services, meeting and conference areas, expositions spaces and library and resource areas. Suppliers, manufacturers, customers and office tenants also have service apartments, as well as a lounge, dining hall, café and bistro located near the garden roof, available for events. The office building is located on the North and the two buildings are connected weightlessly over the central ground level promenade allowing the users a flowing passage through the complex, while still fully protected from the weather.
As a future industry standard case study, it was also important to acknowledge common structural and environmental issues which become a fundamental part of the design. Therefore the stepping of floor modules creates an angular form, reducing the amount of solar gain and direct sun glare. The structure maintains the designs integrity by being able to tie back to the main structural columns. In addition, features such as clerestory lighting and a promenade which splices through the centre of the complex aids in the natural ventilation of the facility.
For the human scale, the Design Resource Platform’s presence will be a monumental and iconic one. Along with achieving the client’s vision, the DRP has accomplished diversity in functional spaces and unique connections for both pedestrians and vehicular flow; an integration which is sure to enrich the urban fabric of Bangalore.